The present invention relates to a vehicle seat belt retainer for a child, and more particularly relates to such a retainer which may be quickly and easily added to the conventional seat belt restraint system of a vehicle.
Conventional vehicle seat belts which consist of a shoulder/lap belt combination, are often not entirely satisfactory as safety restraints for children. In particular, children over the age of five or weighing over eighteen kilograms, who can wear a regular lap belt or shoulder/lap belt combination, until approximately the age of eleven, have not fully developed pelvises. Care must therefore be taken to prevent the lap belt from moving up off the pelvic bones and applying pressure to the abdomen. When this occurs under impact (known as "submarining"), serious internal organ and/or spinal cord injuries may result. The prominent bony structure of the adult pelvis readily holds the lap belt in place. It is important, therefore, and particularly with children, that the lap belt should be properly positioned initially, and held securely over the pelvis while the lap belt is being worn.
Shoulder/lap belt combination systems, while normally safer for children than lap belts alone, may, under impact conditions, have a negative effect on the positioning of the lap belt section. This is because most shoulder/lap belt combination restraints are a one piece belt system with a loop and buckle assembly attached. Because of the weight and leverage of the upper body in comparison to the lower body, the shoulder belt is usually subject to more strain under initial impact than the lap belt. As a result this may produce submarining by causing the shoulder belt to pull the lap belt and buckle assembly up into the abdominal area.
These problems of properly positioning conventional seat belts may be further enhanced by the normal activity of children who may tend to move around or slump down in their seat in the vehicle.
Attachments to conventional vehicle seat belts to improve their comfort and performance are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,282 of Finnigan issued May 18, 1976 describes and illustrates an attachment for a shoulder harness comprising a soft resilient material embracing the shoulder belt and providing a cushioned surface which enlarges as pressure is applied to it in the vicinity of the neck of the wearer. This device blunts the edge of the belt as it is urged towards the neck of the wearer. It is detachable from existing shoulder harnesses. U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,468 of Spill issued Oct. 28, 1986 describes and illustrates a cover for a shoulder/lap belt combination consisting of a pair of tubular sleeve members with longitudinal slits therein so that they may be opened and wrapped around the lap in diagonal straps respectively. The sleeve members include an inner surface formed of a pile fabric material. Other padded seat belts are described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,192,530 of Cachia issued Mar. 11, 1980 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,461 of Kienel issued Apr. 16, 1974.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat belt retainer for a child which will help reduce the risk of internal and/or spinal cord injuries associated with conventional vehicle lap belt or shoulder/lap belt combination systems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device which may be quickly and easily installed on a vehicle's existing lap belt or shoulder/lap belt restraint system.